


Pleasure in the Dance

by taibhrigh



Series: Pleasures [8]
Category: Chronicles of Riddick (2004)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-06
Updated: 2013-06-06
Packaged: 2017-12-14 02:27:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/831663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taibhrigh/pseuds/taibhrigh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Riddick and Vaako are growing stronger thanks to the Threshold, and they reward the few they call their own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pleasure in the Dance

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to [siluria](http://archiveofourown.org/users/siluria) for the beta.
> 
> This was written for smallfandomfest #13 on LJ.

~~~***~~~

Vaako swung the staff up and around, dodging the next strike from Toran. The new weapon was well-balanced, sharper and better than any Toran had ever made before. He was sparring with the weapon-smith and the two men were moving around the throne room as Riddick watched from his seat on the throne. Toran moved in and angled his own staff up and under and twisted. Vaako had to let his own staff swing out of one hand to recover from the move.

Without the powers from the Threshold, he and Toran had always been evenly matched. They had been at this session for more than half an hour and Toran was still not showing signs of tiring. The gifts Riddick and he had given to Toran and Shana were paying off.

 _They are ours,_ Riddick told him, just as he danced out of the way of Toran's next strike. _It would not do if they fell at the hands of just anyone._

Swinging the staff about Vaako caught the other man mid-calf and swept his opponent's left leg out from under him. Toran rolled to the right, springing back to his feet just outside of the range of Vaako's staff, Toran was back into position with his own staff ready to strike and it had all happened in a blink of an eye. 

_He's learning well,_ Riddick said, and Vaako could hear the approval in his lover's voice. Speed, stamina, better sight and hand-eye coordination were making their pair of assassins even deadlier.

The throne room's doors opened and Vaako sensed Toran's thoughts change instantly from their sparring session to being on guard against threats. No matter how many times he had told both Toran and Shana that they were not bodyguards it hadn't stopped either of them from stepping in front of their Lord Marshal and his Consort. That loyalty would always be rewarded.

Toran only relaxed when Inana and Enki bound into the room ahead of Mace and Shana. The two hellhounds ran towards the rest of their pack in greeting before settling down. Mace glanced around the room, and then the only way Vaako could think to describe the look on the hacker's face was that of a child caught up past his bedtime. 

This was not the first time in the last month Vaako had seen that look on the planet hacker's face, and it probably wouldn't be the last time. The first had been right after Riddick had let him do a complete shutdown and reboot of all the ships. Riddick had Mace shutdown all the frigates first before bringing the Basilica down. The panic and fear that raced across the fleet had been a delicious feeling to him and Riddick. The Basilica had also been the first back up and had run through a thorough targeting recalibration that Vaako knew had been seen from the windows of the other ships. 

The reports Mace had produced had both been impressive and problematic. He and Riddick had gone to visit a couple of the frigates after that. The Gauntlet would be cleaning nobles out of the lift shafts for another week and the ship was currently tied into the Reprisal's command protocols.

They were also going to have to find Mace a keeper besides the hound that had already claimed him. Enki could only do so much.

Vaako knew from the moment that he'd broken through the storm that was Mace's mind that he would pass all of Riddick's tests. Even if he was singed a little from where Riddick had released the small part of the Furyan Rage that Mace had carried since his birth. 

Neither Riddick or he could figure out why a Furyan who had escaped the purge of her planet would then give up her son, unless she was afraid of the Elemental Prophecy. The only problem with that was Mace was only half Furyan and the prophecy had been about a child born on Furya. Mace had never been to Furya and had been born on Bayesian; orphaned there as well.

During Riddick's test they had seen that the Elementals had been one of the hidden backers in the Living Computer Program. They had been involved in the acceleration of the program and testing of certain individuals. What the Elementals had done in the name of fixing the universe was going to be paid for in their own blood.

Vaako remembered the scene from three weeks ago. Mace had stared at the three Fire Elementals in their cages. He had not seen them while being transported to the Basilica and had so far respected both his and Riddick's commands on what he could and could not access. Vaako had watched as Mace stopped in front of the third cage and tapped on the glass. "Now who's the rat?" he had asked the man. "Though we seem to be missing a maze."

Vaako had been right. Mace's reaction had been beautiful. Electricity seemed to spark through the cell that was filled with water. The Elemental had flopped about in place until Vaako had put a stop to it.

"You can kill him later," Vaako had promised, laying a hand on Mace's shoulder. "We need information from them first."

The Fire Elemental had just glared at both of them and promised retribution. Vaako had laughed, then put his other hand on the glass until ice crystals began to form and the Elemental's breath had started to come out in little puffs of white air marking just how cold the cell was getting.

Vaako had felt Mace's wonder at the power of the Threshold; something that Mace's own abilities could not explain.

"You were just a mere chess piece on the board. Still are," the Elemental said through the chattering of his teeth. "You were a pawn meant to fall," the Fire Elemental added. "Something we could use to take the blame."

"Failed, huh?" Mace countered.

"Three of you failed to break as predicted," the Elemental said as if not realizing he was speaking of unknown things. He waved off the comment as if the statement meant nothing. "You were damaged. Flawed."

The lights around them flickered.

"Emotional," the Elemental taunted.

Vaako knew Mace's body bore scars from this Fire Elemental. Knew that his planet hacker had watched as some of the other Living Computers had been tortured and killed in front of him in hopes of breaking Mace. What the Elemental had not realized, what really no one had, was that the _volunteers_ could transfer data between themselves. Mace knew the face of everyone involved, and now so did he and Riddick.

He hadn't even tried to stop Mace as the water level in the cell increased and one of the flexible recessed lighting cables fell into the water. It was like an eel as it moved through the water. Its light still glowed even though it was no longer connected to a power source. The twelve foot long cable wrapped itself around the Elemental's right leg and began to glow bright white. The Elemental screamed as the cable burned through skin and bone.

The Fire Elemental had dropped into the freezing water like a marionette whose strings had been cut. The cable unwrapped itself and glided towards the Elemental's neck. The Elemental had tried to scream but couldn't keep his head above the water.

Sparks dropped into the water as the cable choked the life from the Elemental's body.

"Beautiful," Vaako had told his hacker.

Mace had turned, giving him that same child-like look and then said, "Oops."

Vaako had laughed. "Enki will take you back to your chambers. And Mace, next time ask."

"Yes, my Lord," Mace had said, but turned his attention to the other two Fire Elementals until the hellhound had taken Mace's hand in his mouth and pulled lightly.

Vaako could sense the fear coming off all the Elementals that had witnessed the scene in the cell. A feeling he shared with Riddick, and one that would later have Riddick on his knees in front of him. 

Vaako pulled his thoughts back from that memory to the present when he sensed Riddick's chuckle in his mind and he knew his mate was sharing the recalled memory. Vaako hid his grin but knew the expression directed at Mace was one of wanting an answer. 

"I heard the call," Mace said, tapping the side of his head. "You didn't have to send the scary red head." That did make Vaako openly grin because the one person in the fleet that seemed to actually scare Mace sometimes was Shana. "Enki was already reminding me," Mace finished, brushing at his right hand with the left and Vaako could see the teeth marks from the hound. The hound had obviously been tugging on Mace's hand but not hard enough to break the skin of the human it protected; just enough to get his attention.

Vaako could sense the amusement from the other three people in the room. Shana simply lifted her hand and slapped Mace on the back of the head as she walked by. 

Mace rubbed at the back of his head. "What was that for?" the hacker asked.

Shana raised an elegant red eyebrow as if to say _you should already know this but I will tell you anyway_. "You were staring at the memory core like it was a crystal ball."

"It is a crystal ball," Mace answered honestly.

Riddick's chuckle from the throne drew them all in. "What did you find that had you communing with my ship when you should have been here?"

Neither he nor Riddick had been concerned that Mace had not come immediately when called as both knew he was sitting right where they had left him hours earlier. They had ordered him to dig into everything, and he had been doing just that. Mace's dance card had been a little full after he discovered that the memory cores of most of the frigates were not sending a full data stream back to the Basilica. The previous Lord Marshals had come to rely on the Greater Quasi Dead and the Lesser Quasi Dead--the communication drones--for their information. Even Zhylaw had only relied on the memory core in the Basilica for his information when he sent other frigates out on a task. Mace was now trying to merge all the data.

"I've found discrepancies in what the one Fire Elemental told us," Mace reported.

Riddick straightened on the throne. "She was lying?" he asked.

"Not sure," Mace answered honestly. "But, I don't think so. So far I've found three references to Valicane and they all describe a different planet with different coordinates. Honestly, I don't think it's a planet. I think it's a ship of some sort. Like the Necropolis."

Vaako could follow Mace's thought. A ship that could imbed itself into a planet and look like it belonged there. "So the Elementals have no homeworld?" he asked.

"They had to come from somewhere, right?" Mace asked with a shrug of his shoulders. "Is it possible that the ones you've caught just aren't old enough? It does seem Elementals age very slowly. But if we can find this ship I can tell you."

Vaako walked up the steps to the throne and sat down on the arm that Riddick wasn't leaning on. "We will be within range of Tyressi in two days. They will watch as we destroy the people who live on that moon before we continue onto Sinnan."

He felt Riddick's laugh before he heard it. His mate shifted closer. "It will break both Fire Elementals," Riddick observed. "Then we head to Sinnan. I want this Water Elemental, Donin, in a cell."

~~~***~~~

The seven ships of the Necromonger fleet hovered around the small moon colony of Tyressi. With the exception of the cell that held Mero--Riddick's pet Air Elemental--an image appeared in all the cells of the Elemental prisoners. He and Riddick stood in a spot where they could watch four of their prisoners.

"When you are ready, Planet Hacker, show these Elementals what they truly made," Riddick ordered and the smile he presented to their prisoners was vicious, yet full of pleasure.

Vaako didn't need to be in the same room with Mace to know what was happening. His planet hacker was sitting on the floor of the observation deck that looked out towards the planet. Toran, Shana, and several of the hounds kept watch.

It was barely noticeable at first. Several spots in the city on the western marsh lit up and then the lights grew brighter and larger. A pattern of flashing orange, red, and yellow began dancing across the moon from city to city as one source of power after another exploded. As computers began erasing data and stopping the transportation system, the two fire Elementals that shared a cell cried and cursed. One started to beg when the third city just seemed to disappear from the moon.

"Corin!" The female in the cell shouted. "You want Corin."

"Be silent, Tine," the other Fire Elemental demanded.

Vaako smiled. "Tell me Tine," he said, his voice pleasant and reassuring. "Tell me why I want Corin and I might just spare the last two cities, but time is short, the outer edges of one are already glowing."

"He's an elder."

The male Fire Elemental made a lunge for Tine but he seemed to just freeze in place, his brown skin turning gray as if he'd been out in the cold and froze to death. The frozen body stood there for a second before toppling to one side where it sizzled as it hit the almost red hot floor.

Vaako stepped through the glass of the cell. "Are you telling me the truth?" he lifted his hand and petted the side of the female Elemental's face, she shivered at the touch. "Where can I find this Corin, Tine?"

"I, I don't know," Tine said through chattering teeth as Vaako's hand had brought a chill around her body.

Vaako hummed. "Mace, the eastern power planet in city four, make it explode."

The image of the planet was replaced with one of an overview of the fourth city just as the power plant exploded. Chemicals bloomed up into the air and caused fires where it rained down.

"Please," Tine begged, dropping to her knees. "Please," she begged again. "I don't know where Corin lives. Only Mattin knows."

"Mace," Vaako spoke. "Leave the fifth city alone and allow the fourth its access back. See," he said, squatting down and taking Tine's face in his hand, "I can be fair. Where is this Mattin?"

"Sinnan. He went to Sinnan."

Vaako grinned. "You've done very well, Tine. Now tell me about Earth Elementals," he ordered knowing that Nole would be screaming in the cell across from them. "Tell me what they hate."

"Water and the cold."

"Just like you?" he asked and received a nod. "What else?"

"Extreme temperature of any kind."

Vaako petted Tine's hair. "Good girl," he said, stepping out of the cell. "If you are lying to me, Tine. I will make you watch as I let my troops destroy your home's last two cities. They will not be quick, do you understand?"

Tine whimpered and sobbed out a yes.

Riddick stepped up next to him. "We could still destroy this moon."

"Perhaps," he said. "After our visit to Sinnan."

Vaako lifted his hand and watched as a small ball of fire danced in his open palm before he closed his hand and the flame went out.

"I felt it too," Riddick confirmed before grabbing the back of his head and bringing their mouths together for a kiss.

"Mace has all the files," Vaako said, breaking the kiss and walking towards the exit of the cell block. His planet hacker had done a wonderful job. "Tyressi's space ports all kept excellent records. Mattin left four days ago."

Riddick nodded and gave the order to move the fleet away from the moon. Vaako knew this hadn't taken as long as they had expected and it would now give them the time to land on Fillend. They needed to refresh the ranks of the Gauntlet and the Wrecker because they planned to land on Sinnan. There would be no bargaining with the Water Elemental.

Vaako led the way from the cell block to their chambers. He didn't even give Riddick a chance to speak before he took the other man's mouth in a rough kiss. _I want you on your hands and knees,_ he told his mate. _I'm going to bury myself so deep we won't be able to tell where we each end and begin._

Riddick broke the kiss and licked his lips but started to undress. "You going to make me scream?"

Vaako pulled his own shirt over his head. "I'm going to make us both scream."

Riddick laughed and pulled him into an embrace that aligned their bodies just right before Vaako spun from the grasp and pulled Riddick into their bedroom. Pushing Riddick onto the bed and coming up behind. It didn't take long until Vaako was thrusting into Riddick's warm, slick passage and Riddick was shoving back onto Vaako's thick hard cock. The sound of flesh hitting flesh and moans of pleasure vibrated through the bond the two men had. The powers of the Threshold pulsed, growing stronger.

This time when the lights flickered across the Basilica it wasn't Mace's fault.

**~end~**


End file.
